Fernando/Ferrari move will free up driver market - Whitmarsh

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 Team Principal, Martin Whitmarsh, said to the 'BBC' that his team is happy to postpone a decision about its 2010 driver line-up as he suspects the driver market will be wide open after the speculated Alonso-Ferrari deal will be made public.

Whitmarsh said to 'BBC': "At the moment we have not, and we are not in any conversations with drivers and we will see in the future. I think in reality there are some changes probably with Fernando at Ferrari. That frees up the driver market and every year there is a number of pivotal points during the season which determine what is going to happen in the driver market. This year I think we all know that the Fernando/Ferrari move has a knock-on and that ripples through the other teams.

"Clearly the BMW withdrawal has also had an impact. I think we don't see a need at the moment to rush into it, we are concentrating on developing the car and making sure we are more competitive, which I hope we will be this weekend."